Written by: Sean Crose
Andy Ruiz was arguably the best boxer back in 2019. In fact, after shocking Anthony Joshua in Joshua's American debut in June of that year, Ruiz became a legitimate fan favorite. It was hard not to question the man who agreed to take the heavyweight championship of the world immediately before beating that champion, after all. Joshua was scheduled to face Jarrell Miller that night in June, but Miller had to pull out due to a drug test. Then Ruiz took his chance and surprised the world. The man was vocal all night.
Unfortunately the group was not meant to last long. Soon after being hailed as a Snickers-loving, happy-go-lucky underdog story, Ruiz began to show signs of evaporating discipline. He was celebrating his big moment, sure, but he was scheduled for a rematch with Joshua in December. Needless to say, when the two men met again, this time in Saudi Arabia, Joshua would win in a landslide. Changing his style, Joshua was able to avoid looking bad, and he lightly coached Ruiz by choosing to box instead of engage in a slug fest. In short, Joshua made everything look easy.
There hasn't been much movement in the Ruiz camp since then. Two fights, one against Chris Arreola and one against Luis Ortiz respectively, ended in victories for Ruiz. However, this man has only fought two fights in the last four years. On August 8, Ruiz will return to the ring. His opponent? The man who was supposed to face Joshua on the night of the Brit's American debut, Jarrell Miller, will now face Ruiz that night at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. It's an interesting matchup between one fighter who seems to be an underachiever and another fighter who seems to have let his skills go to waste.
However, Ruiz has made it clear that he wants to make the most of his opportunities. Speaking to DAZN, Ruiz admitted that he didn't take full advantage of his success after it came so unexpectedly. “I think I'm too much into the life of the party,” Ruiz said. “I was still happy to win.” In short, Ruiz let the good times get the better of him. “I completely forgot that I had a rematch in six months,” he added. “It's going very fast.” Indeed. Well, at 34 years old, a man can make up for lost time…just like 36-year-old Miller. It should be an interesting fight.
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